PHOENIX — Joe Johnson will miss Sunday night’s game against the Suns due to soreness in his right quad, Nets head coach P.J. Carlesimo told reporters about 90 minutes before tip-off.

Johnson suffered the contusion in the third quarter of the Nets’ loss to the Clippers on Saturday and finished the game, but the condition apparently worsened overnight.

Keith Bogans will get the start in Johnson’s place.

Johnson has been bothered by a plantar fascia injury to his left heel since just before the All-Star break, and his numbers have been affected. He has largely played through the pain, however, appearing in 10 of his team’s last 14 games.

While the quad injury is a new one, Carlesimo expressed concern due to the way Johnson’s overall play has been affected.

“I’m concerned because he’s come back and he’s not healthy yet,” he said of Johnson playing through injury. “I just think that it’s very similar to what we saw with [Deron Williams]. You saw the difference when Deron came back, and he’s felt the best he’s felt all year. It made a big difference.”

Carlesimo said he simply wants Johnson healthy so he can return to playing at the level the Nets are accustomed to seeing.

“Joe has not said … every time I ask Joe how he feels, he says it’s OK,” Carlesimo said. “Again, he wants to play, which is good, and he doesn’t want to use that as an excuse. I think that if you look at the numbers and you look at what Joe’s done since the injury, it’s not the same Joe. We need to get Joe Johnson back healthy. I think if he’s healthy, then he’ll play the way Joe Johnson plays.”

Johnson is averaging 16.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in 37.2 minutes per game this season.

I don’t remember playing tonight. I didn’t play. Guys get a lot of money to be ready to play. No Knute Rockne speeches. It’s your job. If you’re a plumber and you don’t do your job, you don’t get any work. I don’t think a plumber needs a pep talk. If a doctor botches operations, he’s not a doctor anymore. If you’re a basketball player, you come ready. It’s called maturity. It’s your job.

Like it or not, motivation is part of an NBA coach’s job.

But that’s also precisely what Popovich is doing.

His credentials dwarf any other coach’s. He can play to his own ego and absolve himself of responsibility – and players will seek to please him. His years of success have earned him the ability to motivate this way, a method no other coach could use without alienating his team.

So, why not hold Motiejunas to what became a four-year, $31 million offer sheet once matched? Houston got something in return – a later trigger date on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ 2017-18 salary. Originally, that decision had to be made March 1 – which would’ve meant dropping Motiejunas from the team this season to prevent his salary from counting next season. Now, the Rockets can make that call in July, after this season is complete.

The following two Julys, Houston will also have a choice on guaranteeing Motiejunas’ upcoming salary or dropping him.

Essentially, Motiejunas is signing the most lucrative Hinkie Special in NBA history. If he plays well and stays healthy, the Rockets have Motiejunas at an affordable rate. If he struggles or his back injuries flare up, they can drop him with little to no penalty.

After they backed themselves into this corner, Motiejunas and his agent, B.J. Armstrong, didn’t do so bad. Considering the similarity between this contract and the Nets’ original offer sheet, it seems Houston helped Armstrong save face after a bungled free agency (which is easier to accept when you’re adding a talented reserve to a formidable team).

But for how little is guaranteed and how much control the Rockets hold over the next four years, wouldn’t Motiejunas have been better off accepting the $4,433,683 qualifying offer?

This means Motiejunas can’t sign with the Nets, who signed him to the original offer sheet, for one year.

I bet it also means Motiejunas and Houston have agreed to a new contract. Otherwise, why release him from the offer sheet? The Rockets would be giving up a tremendous amount of leverage out of the goodness of their hearts – unless this is just a prelude to a new deal with Houston.